1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital receiver and more particularly, to a method of displaying broadcasting signals using a digital broadcasting receiver and a digital display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many differences between digital broadcasting and analog broadcasting. One difference is that the digital broadcasting can support a more diverse video formats in comparison to the analog broadcasting. The diverse video formats of the digital broadcasting includes formats such as by definition, namely high definition (HD) or standard definition (SD), and by the aspect ratio, namely 16:9 or 4:3. Thus, the digital broadcasting has allows better video services users by supporting diverse video formats.
To provide the diverse video formats of the digital broadcasting, a digital broadcasting receiver such as a set top box and a display device such as a ready television receiver are required to receive and display video signals. Particularly, a digital broadcasting receiver receives digital broadcasting signals from an external source and generates an analog broadcasting signal by decoding the digital broadcasting signal. The digital broadcasting receiver then transmits to the display device the analog broadcasting signal divided into video, audio, and information data. Here, the set top box may receive both analog broadcasting signals as well as digital broadcasting signals. Also, the ready television receiver, which is in essence a type of a monitor, may have different display modes.
FIG. 1 shows examples of video signals displayed in different modes using the digital broadcasting receiver and the display device.
FIG. 2 is a table showing the display modes of a display device in accordance with the type of a broadcasting signal transmitted from a digital broadcasting receiver. As shown, both a digital broadcasting receiver and a display device can diversely convert the format of the digital broadcasting signal received from an external source and provide the diverse video formats to users.
However, a display device in the related art as described above can support a limited number of display modes depending upon the manufacturer and model of the display device. Also, a display device and a digital broadcasting receiver are separate devices, connected only by a video signal transmission line. Thus, the display device cannot immediately recognize the format of the broadcasting signal input from the digital broadcasting receiver. As a result, the display device may distort and display the input digital broadcasting signal.
Namely, if a broadcasting signal with a format that is not supported by a display device is transmitted from a digital broadcasting receiver, the display device such as the ready television receiver may display the broadcasting signal with loss. Moreover, if a new broadcasting signal is input to the digital broadcasting receiver, the format of the input broadcasting signal may be converted to a format corresponding to a display mode previously set by a user. In such case, the new broadcasting signal cannot be displayed in the format currently desired by the user.
For example, if a high definition broadcasting signal with an aspect ratio of 16:9 is input to a digital broadcasting receiver and is displayed through a display device set to a high definition display mode with an aspect ratio of 4:3, the broadcasting signal would be displayed with losses to the sides of the image as in Mode A of FIG. 1. Furthermore, if on-screen display characters are mixed with the broadcasting signal and the display mode of the display device is set to Mode A of FIG. 1, the on-screen display characters would also be lost and thus, the user would not be able to see the on-screen display characters on the screen.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve at least the problems and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a more efficient display of broadcasting signals of different formats.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a more efficient method of displaying a digital broadcasting signal using a digital broadcasting receiver and a digital display device.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of displaying a digital broadcasting signal using a digital broadcasting receiver and a digital display device, which enables broadcasting signals received through the digital broadcasting receiver to be displayed in an optimum display mode through the digital display device in accordance with the broadcasting signal.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a digital display device receives information on a currently input digital broadcasting signal before displaying the input signal, searches and determines an optimum mode among the display modes of the display device using the information, and displays the input signal in the optimum mode.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a method of displaying a digital broadcasting signal using a digital broadcasting receiver and a digital display device comprises performing a communication for transmitting information on a display mode at least in one direction between the digital broadcasting receiver and the digital display device; the display device searching and determining an optimum display mode using the information on the display mode; and displaying the broadcasting signal received through the digital broadcasting receiver in the determined optimum display mode through the display device.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of displaying a digital broadcasting signal using a digital broadcasting receiver and a digital display enables a bi-directional communication between the digital broadcasting receiver and the display device through a bi-directional communication line. The method comprises of the display device sending to the digital broadcasting receiver information on a current display mode of the display device such as an aspect ratio (e.g. aspect ratio of 16:9 or 4:3), resolution (e.g. high definition or standard definition), and scanning type (e.g. interlace or progressive); the digital broadcasting receiver processing the received broadcasting signal using the information on the display mode and sending the processed broadcasting signal and its information to the display device; and the display device determining its own display mode suitable for the processed broadcasting signal through a lookup table using the information of the processed broadcasting signal.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, a method of displaying a digital broadcasting signal using a digital broadcasting receiver and a digital display enables the digital broadcasting receiver sending information of the received broadcasting signal to the display device, i.e. an uni-directional communication. The method comprises of the digital broadcasting receiver inserting information on the received broadcasting signal such as an aspect ratio, resolution, scanning type, and aspect ratio change information into vertical blanking periods of the received broadcasting signal and sending the information to the display device along with the received broadcasting signal; the display device determining an optimum display mode on a lookup table using the information; and the display device displaying the received broadcasting signal in the determined optimum display mode.